Voices of the Harlem Renaissance: Hughes, DuBois & Hurston

Introduction: The Rise of the Individual Voice

One of the most significant developments of the Harlem Renaissance was the rise of the individual voice. While many African-Americans were struggling with identity in a shifting society, some writers came along and presented them with the image of an identity that was not just a dream but a reality that could be achieved. It may be difficult to imagine now how it felt to live in a day when individuals were seen as lesser people because of their skin color. The tension between those refusing to allow freedom and those demanding it put the country on edge in many ways. The war may have been over, but the wounds were still untreated. Art is one way in which this kind of pain can be addressed and even soothed. Through poetry and fiction, a type of healing takes place. Through art, people are exposed to certain truths, whether they accept them or not. People also began to see that they were not alone and that they did deserve freedom. Langston Hughes, W.E.B. DuBois, Zora Neale Hurston, and Booker T. Washington are just a few of the writers who emerged from this era, making considerable contributions to the identity of the African-American during the Harlem Renaissance — a time when freedom still seemed elusive.

Langston Hughes and the Poetry of Protest

Langston Hughes is a prolific writer who emerged in Harlem during this period. Passionate and poetic, Hughes had no problem expressing his beliefs. Michael Schmidt claims that Hughes was so popular and influential during this era that he was nicknamed the "bard of Harlem" (Schmidt 707). Hughes' poetry gained momentum and attracted poets and musicians alike because of his distinctive style. This style includes "two modes, one drawing rhythms from jazz and the blues, a poetry with ironies and radical reversals generally avoids staginess; and poems of racial protest and definition" (Schmidt 708).

"Harlem" is one poem that stands out from Hughes' work because it focuses on the pain associated with what it meant to be African-American at this time. The American Dream lies at the heart of this poem because it lies at the heart of every American, regardless of race. The poet poses the question of what happens when that dream cannot come true. The poem is a form of social protest in its own right because it has the nerve to ask this question with regard to African-Americans — people who are undoubtedly American yet deferred by society. The additional questions the poet asks are impossible to answer but worth asking. For African-Americans during this time, the American Dream is an elusive one that includes equality. When the poet asks if the dream will just "explode?" (Hughes 10), he presents the reader with a powerful image. The question can be read as a warning: if something in the country does not change, revolt becomes inevitable. The moral challenge of equality is real and, from Hughes' point of view, should be examined carefully, because people cannot live in a state of oppression very long without some form of resistance.

Harry Phillips writes that this concluding line of the poem "contrasts mightily with the tone of earlier questions. It is designed both to shock and enlighten readers as to the explosive spirit and drive fueling an American dream and a determined people" (Phillips). The image of the small and insignificant "raisin in the sun" (Hughes, "Harlem" 3), along with a "fester like a sore" (4) and the "stink of rotten meat" (6), are "incendiary devices in the service of this dream that will not die" (Phillips). Hughes wanted to open eyes, minds, and hearts with this poem.

Hughes was hitting raw nerves with this message. Arthur Davis maintains that Harlem is a common theme in Hughes' poetry because it represents the changing perspectives of the time. In "The Weary Blues," the poet communicates a "Joyous Harlem of the New Negro Renaissance" (Davis 1937). In "One Way Ticket," Davis explains how Hughes captures the tension and trauma of the era, stating, "By the time of 'One Way Ticket' Harlem has gone through the Depression . . . It has become the 'edge of hell;' and yet it could still be . . . A refuge for the black folks who worked down-town and had to bow and scrape to white folks all day" (Davis 1937–8). Hughes wanted to shock people into seeing what happens when people are not allowed to be free. Freedom is not just a word — it is a state of being, and it should be available to all Americans.

W.E.B. DuBois and the Veil of Double Consciousness

Another creative and inspiring writer to surface from the Harlem Renaissance was W.E.B. DuBois. One of his most widely recognized works is The Souls of Black Folk, an examination of identity from the African-American perspective. DuBois explains the problems associated with African-American identity by describing an unseen veil that exists between the races. This veil was responsible for preventing African-Americans from gaining respect and meaningful occupations in their communities. DuBois knew that "the problem of the twentieth century is the problem of the color-line" (DuBois). He also knew that changing a law would not change the hearts and attitudes of men. Of emancipation, DuBois wrote, "Then amid all crouched the freed slave, bewildered between friend and foe. He had emerged from slavery . . . classed the black man and the ox together" (DuBois).

He understood that prejudice was a terrible condition and wrote that those who are prejudiced can be "met in but one way, — by the breadth and broadening of human reason" (DuBois). Prejudice is a condition of the heart and a stumbling block to growth of any kind; it leads to a "double consciousness" (DuBois). He said, "The history of the American Negro is the history of this strife, — this longing to attain self-conscious manhood, to merge his double self into a better and truer self" (DuBois). Here DuBois challenges men to put injustices in the past and move forward. He knew that changing the hearts and minds of men would be one of the greatest challenges of all, but he was convinced that it could be done, and his voice became one of reason at a tumultuous time.

Conclusion: Art, Hope, and the African-American Voice

The writers of the Harlem Renaissance are especially important because they capture the essence of what most African-Americans were feeling at a time of turmoil. Art has a way of accomplishing many things. It can express ideas and open eyes. Through art, people can learn about others and begin to understand more of their fellow human beings. Fiction has a way of opening up the lives of others to scrutiny and empathy. When people were frustrated and often felt incapable of doing anything about their circumstances, these writers gave them a voice and, as a result, hope on which to cling.

Langston Hughes, W.E.B. DuBois, Zora Neale Hurston, and Booker T. Washington gave the African-American people a voice when they desperately needed it. By giving African-Americans a voice, these authors not only validated the community's experience but also offered hope. There was no better commodity during the Harlem Renaissance than hope, for it fueled the passion that kept the fight going.

Works Cited

Davis, Arthur P. "Langston Hughes: Cool Poet." Chelsea House Library of Literary Criticism. Vol. 4. New York: Chelsea House Publisher, 1986. Print.

DuBois, W.E.B. The Souls of Black Folk. Bartleby Online. Retrieved August 4, 2009. Print.

Hughes, Langston. "Harlem." Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. X.J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia, eds. New York: Longman, 1999. Print.

Hurston, Zora Neale. Their Eyes Were Watching God. New York: Harper and Row Publishers, 1990. Print.

Phillips, Harry. "Overview of Harlem." Poetry for Students. 1997. Gale Resource Database. Accessed November 5, 2010. <http://www.infotrac.galegroup.com>

Schmidt, Michael. The Lives of the Poets. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1999. Print.

Washington, Booker T. Up From Slavery. Print.